B.Tech student arrested for making extortion calls to MP

A 23-year-old third year B.Tech student was arrested Friday in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district for allegedly making an extortion call demanding Rs.10 lakh from a Lok Sabha member, police said.Premanshu Kumar Mohapatra, a student of electrical trade in a local engineering college was arrested after he was found making the extortion calls from a mobile, police officer Jayanarayan Khandai told IANS.The B.Tech student allegedly posed as a Maoist and made several calls to the ruling Biju Janata Dal leader Laxman Tudu, who represents Mayurbhanj constituency in the Lok sabha, seeking the money.

When Tudu did not respond, he also allegedly sent an SMS threatening him of dire consequences. Police launched an investigation into the matter and tracked the mobile number after Tudu lodged a complaint at the local police station Wednesday.Police have also arrested a local electrical technician after the sim card used to make the call was found in his name.The district of Mayurbhanj is about 270 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.